


Tell Me A Story

by alwaysemmerdale



Category: Emmerdale
Genre: Drunk Robron, Fluff, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-03
Updated: 2016-03-03
Packaged: 2018-05-24 13:18:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,650
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6154978
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alwaysemmerdale/pseuds/alwaysemmerdale
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Gordon has been found guilty in court and Robert keeps an eye on a drunken Aaron later that evening.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tell Me A Story

"Guilty"  
When Robert heard the word he knew that he could finally breathe again. He watched Aaron, expecting a sigh or even a sob from him, but the young man's expression didn't change, the only indications that he'd heard the verdict were the silent tears streaming down his face. 

They drove back from the court in silence, Aaron staring blankly out of the window. Chas and the Dingles had driven off ahead, giving Aaron some space at his request. Robert had offered to join them, but Aaron had simply told him that he wanted Robert to stay with him, if that's OK. 

Robert hadn't tried to talk to him, he'd learnt by now that Aaron would speak if, and when, he wanted to. They reached the pub and Robert turned to Aaron,  
"They're all going to be there you know- the Dingles, Paddy, Adam, Vic..." Robert spoke softly, letting Aaron know that if he didn't want to face them all he didn't have to, he could go back to Vic's or they could go for a walk or anything at all- it was Aaron's choice.  
"No, no I have to face them, they've all been there for me lately and I owe them this." Aaron's face was hard and his words were determined.  
"You don't owe anyone anything." Robert told Aaron, wondering how one man could be so selfless. Aaron just smiled sadly, shaking his head, before he got out of the car and headed towards the pub, followed by Robert. 

"Ah, here he is!" Chas greeted her son with a tight hug and a kiss on the cheek.  
"How you feeling?" someone asked, and with that Aaron was surrounded by people- his friends and family all wanted to hug him, to shake his hand and make sure that he was alright. Robert took a seat at the back of the pub and made a mental note to keep an eye on Aaron- he'd noticed that Aaron had already had 3 shots since getting back from the court.

As the evening wore on people started to disperse: Vic took a very drunk Adam home, dragging him out by his hand as he slurred "I love you Aaron Livesy, and no one will ever, ever hurt you again because I love you ok? Not in a husband way, you know that, but in a brother way, you see?"  
Aaron, rather drunk himself, had mumbled back "you had your chance mate," before downing another pint.  
Cain and Moira followed soon after- Cain hugging Aaron tightly- much to the surprise of the others who had never seen Cain act so tenderly in all their lives. 

Soon enough Aaron was sat at the bar alone, slumped over his drink. Robert had kept Aaron in sight all evening, occasionally asking him if he wanted some water or anything to eat, to which Aaron usually just responded with an unintelligible grunt. Robert watched as Aaron raised his head and looked to his left and right, seemingly surprised that he was almost alone. He swivelled slowly on his barstool to look around the pub, and when he caught sight of Robert at the back his eyes lit up. He climbed off the stool clumsily, swaying slightly as he stood up. He then made his way to where Robert was sitting, his progress slow and punctuated by cursing as he tripped and stumbled.  
"Oi." Aaron greeted him, slumping down next to him on the bench. Robert had been drinking as well, he'd needed something to blur the edges a bit, to add a bit of numbness where there had previously been grief, sadness, anger and a whole multitude of emotions.  
"Oi yourself," he'd replied, not really knowing what it meant. Aaron picked up Robert's glass and drank the contents before leaning back against the booth and turning his head to face Robert- his blue eyes piercing even in his drunkenness.  
"Mate, you are like my best friend ok?" Aaron garbled his words a bit, and his hand found Robert's knee under the table, where it stayed. Before Robert had time to react to Aaron's statement the younger man continued,  
"You've been there for me this whole time, even when I cry and stuff. You've looked after me every day, haven't you?"  
Robert tried to follow where Aaron was taking his little monologue, but he was distracted by the thought that Aaron seemed to be talking in rhetorical questions.  
"And you are really, really, really, my best friend. Like my best friend." Aaron laughed as he said this, but his eyes were full of tears. Robert wasn't sure how to react, but his heart swelled with the thought that him and Aaron were on good terms again: Aaron trusted him and was glad of his help- that was all Robert wanted.  
"Now. Robert serious time. Serious. I'll be very serious now." Aaron repeated gesturing with his hand to demonstrate how very serious he was.  
"I'm verrrryyyy drunk. Very drunk. I've even half forgotten where I am. Well of course I'm in the pub but where is the pub? Well of course it's in emmerdale, but where is emmerdale? And then where is Yorkshire?..." Robert couldn't help but laugh at the silly, drunk boy sitting next to him, his hand still gripping Robert's knee under the table.  
"Rob. Serious. S-e-r-i-o-u-s," Aaron spelt out the word with fierce concentration before losing his train of thought and staring into space. Suddenly he looked very young, very lost and very sad. Robert reached up gently and ran his hand lightly over the side of Aaron's face, a gesture of pure love, trying to bring Aaron back from wherever he'd drifted to, wherever was making him look so unhappy.  
"Now I'm going to be serious, ok?" Robert said, using Aaron's new favourite word, "I need to get you upstairs to bed, alright?" Robert stood up, using the table to steady himself.  
"Come on Aaron." he said, and Aaron looked up at him for a few seconds, his gaze trusting and beautiful, before taking Robert's hand in his and hauling himself up. 

The journey from the bar, to the back, up the stairs and into Aaron's room was a mess of giggles and a few tears as the two men tripped and stumbled, Aaron holding onto Robert the whole time as Robert tried his best to support the both of them. Once in Aaron's room, Robert placed a glass of water on the bedside table and reminded Aaron that he shouldn't sleep in his suit, before turning to leave- Aaron needed to sleep and Robert needed to give him space.  
"Rob!" Aaron called out softly, "I need some help. H-e-l-p" Aaron spelt it out with a giggle and Robert turned back with a smile on his face.  
"Aaron, love, what's wrong?" The affectionate term had slipped out but Robert didn't mind, he loved Aaron, so, so, much and Aaron should know that he was loved.  
"Number one: I can't undo the buttons," Aaron said, gesturing at his shirt, "number two: I want my best friend to stay with me."  
Robert stepped towards Aaron and took the younger man's clumsy hands away from the shirt that Aaron was almost ripping in an attempt to get undone, holding them gently in his for a second before letting them go and slowly undoing the shirt buttons. When all the buttons were undone, Robert raised his head to meet Aaron's eyes, which were filled with tears once again.  
"Look at me," he slurred, pointing at the scars and burn marks that littered his chest and stomach, "I'm a mess."  
Aaron began to cry, his tears coming from deep within, the tears of a man who had been through too much, seen too much. Robert wanted to hold Aaron, he wanted to hold him and rock him until the tears subsided, but he was plagued by doubts. Would Aaron want to be held? Would he feel trapped? Would it be taking advantage? After a few seconds Aaron took the decision away from Robert when the shorter man leaned against Robert's chest, his head buried in Robert's neck, his hands clinging on to Robert's suit jacket. Robert placed a hand on the back of Aaron's head, another on his back, and he held him until the younger man's breathing steadied and the tears stopped. 

"Go to sleep Aaron, I'll stay if you want me to?" Robert looked into Aaron's sore, tired eyes. Aaron was trying to tell Robert something, he was mumbling about sleep and Robert couldn't make much sense of it.  
"When I lay down I can't stop... thinking, you know?" Aaron struggled to explain his fears in his inebriated state, "but it all goes away when you're there... All the thinking stops."  
Robert understood and replied gently, "Look, I'll stay and talk to you until you fall asleep, ok?"  
Aaron stopped protesting then, and he climbed under the covers wearing a pair of joggers that Robert had handed him. His suit was laid out over a chair, also thanks to Robert, who was now sitting on the edge of the bed.  
"You want me to tell you a story?" Robert was aware that the alcohol in his system was making him open and he didn't feel silly or shy offering to distract Aaron.  
"Yeah. Please. Take me somewhere... far from here... Wherever we are." Aaron replied with a small smile, recalling his earlier confusion over his whereabouts.  
So Robert sat on the edge of the bed and told Aaron stories- stories of other lands and other people. He stole characters from books that he'd already read, merging different worlds and tales that took Aaron away from his little room above the pub, took Aaron to Westeros, to Poldark's Cornwall, to Scarlett O'Hara's Tara and to King Arthur's Camelot. Eventually these tales reached their goal- they took Aaron to sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed it- please let me know what you thought!x


End file.
